Tag Archives: Uplifting Stories in Business

Ten years ago, Marissa McTasney sold her first pair of pink work boots – the trademark product of her company Moxie Trades Ltd. – to a U.S. customer through her online store.

But she waited another five years to fully launch into the U.S. market to make sure she had the knowledge base, market strategy and inventory in place to tackle this new and potentially lucrative market.

Since then Ms. McTasney’s U.S. base has grown to 30 per cent of her $2-million-a-year sales, including a recent partnership with industrial safety product supplier Illinois-based W.W. Grainger Inc.

America first

But with U.S. President Donald Trump’s protectionist “America first” talk, which includes discussions of increased domestic manufacturing and heavy taxes on competing imports, Canadian business owners such as Ms. McTasney are feeling concerned about what lies ahead.

Many, however, have no option but to look at the much bigger market south of us.

“For me, it’s quite significant and I’ve been looking to grow the U.S. business so that I’m not so vulnerable here in Canada,” she says. “There are not a lot of large retailers in Canada, so I wanted to diversify.”

The reality for me is that I want acceptance and validation. Is that the same for you? I really do wonder. At Moxie… the only thing that has kept me going is the gratitude and praise that I receive from our Moxie fans. I continue to be overwhelmed with gratitude when women send me photos of themselves wearing my work boots or showing me the shoe box with the boots still inside. I dreamed about that moment. We have really pretty tissue paper and round hang tags. Continue reading →